Japanese Bobtail
A Calico (called "Mi-ke") Japanese Bobtail catThe Japanese Bobtail is a breed of cat with an unusual 'bobbed' tail more closely resembling the tail of a rabbit than that of an ordinary feline. The short tail is caused by the expression of a recessive gene. Thus, so long as both parents are bobtails, all kittens born to a litter will have bobtails as well. Unlike the Manx and other cat breeds, where genetic disorders are common to tailless or stumpy-tails, no such problem exists with the Japanese Bobtail.

The bobtail is a small oriental cat native to Japan and Southeast Asia. The breed has been known in Japan for centuries, and there are many legends and myths, as well as pieces of ancient art, featuring it. The Maneki Neko, or 'beckoning cat' is a bobtail.

Japanese bobtails may have almost any colour, but calico (called "Mi-ke", meaning "three-fur") or bi-colours are especially favoured by the Japanese.The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of domestic cat that originate in Japan, for many centuries; it is featured in many ancient prints and paintings.

Breed Standard: Japanese Bobtail

Head: The head should form an equilateral triangle. (Not including ears)

Ears: Large, upright, set wide apart but at right angles to the head and looking as if alert.

Muzzle: Fairly broad and round neither pointed nor blunt.

Eyes: Large, oval rather than round. They should not bulge out beyond the cheekbone or the forehead.

Body: Medium in size, males larger than females. Long torso, lean and elegant, showing well developed muscular strength. Also balance is very very important.

Neck: Not to long and not to short, in proportion to the length of the body.

Legs: Long, slender, and high. The hind legs longer than the forelegs,

Paws: Oval. Toes: five in front and four behind.

Coat(Shorthair): Medium length, soft and silk.

Coat (Longhair): Length medium-long to long, texture soft and silky gradually lengthening toward the rump.

Tail: The tail must be clearly visible and is made up of one or more curves.

The Japanese Bobtail is a recognised breed by all major registering bodies: CFA (www.cfa.org), TICA (www.tica.org), FIFe; Shorthair only (www.fifeweb.org).

History
The earliest written evidence of cats in Japan indicates that they arrived from China or Korea at least 1,000 years ago. In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to help deal with rodents threatening the silk-worms. Buying or selling cats was illegal, and from then on, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. So,the Japanese Bobtails are the "street cats" of Japan. In 1968 the late Elizabeth Freret imported the first three Japanese Bobtails to the United States from Japan. The beckoning cat, which is a Bobtail seated with one paw raised. Considered to be a good-luck charm, a maneki-neko statue is often found in the front of stores. Look around the next Japanese restaurant you visit you’ll likely spot one. In 2001 the first registered litter of Bobtails in the UK were bred under the "Solstans" prefix.

General
They usually have litters of three to four kittens that are extremely large for newborns. Compared to other breeds, they are active earlier, and walk earlier. Affectionate and generally sweet-tempered. Enjoys supervising household chores and baby-sitting. Well-defined sense of family life. They are active, intelligent, talkative cats. Their soft voices are capable of nearly a whole scale of tones; some people say they sing. Since they adore human companionship they almost always speak when spoken to. Because of their human-oriented personality they are easy to teach tricks and enjoy learning things like walking on a harness and lead.